Transitions
by torib0o
Summary: Neji's at a new school in an old town & he's not the person he used to be, but there are kind people willing to be patient with him & kind boys willing to go out of their way for him. "Those Nara can sweep anyone off their feet." Warnings inside. AU, YAOI
1. I

A/N: My first high school type fic. I hope I do it well because, a lot of them are total bullshit and over exaggerated in certain aspects; cliques, gangs, drugs, overwhelming cruelty to new students. I mean, while these are present, movies, books, media and, of course fan fiction, make the situations more than they are.

WARNINGS: AU, High School fic, Yaoi, WAFF, OOC, OCs, cracky pairings.

**note- everyone in the Naruto universe is the same age.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

--

There were various hushed whispers surrounding him as he walked down the hallway. He'd yet to have a locker assigned to him, but, he thought it was better that way because of his lack of books and other such materials. As he walked with his counselor by his side, a tall man who'd been gnawing on a toothpick since he stepped into his office two hours prior, he had to wonder what purpose this man really served. Of course, in normal circumstances, a counselor was there if he had issues with a class or teacher or simply needed to talk, but this man asked to 'tag along' in hopes to avoid a colleague who was supposed to be stopping by.

This high school was larger than he expected and his uncle informed him that there were well over three thousand students between grades nine through twelve, however, it was much larger than the school he'd come from. As he neared his destination, Mr. Shiranui still at his side, he could hear the whispers surrounding him and he tightened his hands around the strap of his messenger bag, letting his hair fall to cover his face, quickening his steps.

"Whoa, slow down there, speedy." Mr. Shiranui chided as he grabbed the boy's shoulder in a firm grip. He paused and looked up at the man through his bangs somewhat questioningly. Mr. Shiranui cleared his throat and puffed his chest out in an authoritative manner and he could tell the man wasn't quite as used to doing this as he tried to appear. "Now, is your schedule clear? On day one, you have yoga and meditation before school starts during the AM period and on day two, you have health. Now-"

"Thank you, sir, but I'm sure that I understand the schedule just fine." He said quietly and his voice held a sense of finality.

Mr. Shiranui nodded quickly. "Alrighty then, your class is just down the hall and if you need to speak to me, you know where my office is."

He watched as his counselor turned down a hallway and left him alone to continue the rest of his short trek to class.

He'd just transferred to this school from a prestigious boarding school he'd been attending for the past two years, however, in actuality, it seemed much longer. His last high school connected with a middle school he'd attended in his adolescence, so, he'd really been in the same place for nearly six years. It'd been a punishment on his uncle's part, along with years of therapy, in hopes to calm his loose tongue and superior attitude, however, when he returned home days prior, his uncle was surprised to find he'd become quite introverted and rather mousy.

As he walked the final few steps to his classroom, he realized that he knew a handful of the people lining the halls, but, he had no desire to speak to any of them, a series of doubts and insecurities swirling in his mind.

Reaching the door, he went to twist the knob when another hand fell into place before his and he looked up to find brown eyes gazing intently at him and he dropped his eyes to the floor.

"S…sorry." He mumbled, waiting for the other boy to open the door, but, when he didn't, he looked back up to see those eyes trained on him and full lips twisted into a smirk as the boy crossed his arms over his chest.

"Well, well, well, what've we got here?" the boy whistled as he leered at him. "Aren't you just hottest thing on two legs, gorgeous?"

He swallowed thickly and took a step back, his hands tightening once more on the strap of his bag. "I think you're mistaken." The boy was certainly intimidating with all of his muscle, facial tattoos, and towering height and he couldn't help but take another step back.

The boy laughed deeply, his head thrown back in the action. "Well, I mean, all the dark makeup's a little dramatic, but, you're still pretty hot."

"Kiba!" the boy with the brown eyes turned around and found a shorter boy with sparkling blue eyes and blond hair walking toward them quickly, his brow downturned. When he reached them, he glared at the boy towering over him. "What are you _doing_?! God!" he admonished the boy before turning to other standing there, smiling softly and reaching his hand out. "Hi!"

He looked down at that hand and back to the smiling face and instantly, felt his heart break. Didn't he remember him? In truth, his own appearance had changed, but, not so drastically. His eyes were painted in dark eye shadows and liners and a thin layer of gloss covered his lips, and, now, his hair was completely loose, no longer bound by single hair tie, but, he was still him and he hadn't changed very much at all.

He frowned at the boy and quickly made his way into the classroom just as the bell rang out and the last of the students finished filing in.

"Oh, good morning." He looked over to where a woman with loose curls sat wrapped in red and white dress, her eyes like red bulls eyes and he could tell they were false.

"Hello." He greeted her softly. "I'm new and-"

"Ok, sweetheart," she cut him off gently, his speech was hushed and she could feel the anxiety rolling off of him in waves. "If I could just see your schedule for a moment, then you can take any one of the empty seats."

He reached into the pocket of his oversized sweater and pulled out the card his list of classes were printed on and pushed his hair a lock of hair behind his ear, his eyes trained on the linoleum tile.

The woman turned back to him, a soft smile on her face. "Here you go, now- eh, Shikamaru, if you're going to be over five minutes late, you could at least try to sneak into the class."

He peaked over his shoulder to where a tall boy stood with his hands in his pockets, a sleepy expression on his face as he shrugged his shoulders. "Sorry, Ms. Yuhi."

She laughed as she waved her hand dismissively before shaking her head when a girl with choppy, shoulder length hair the color of grapefruit and brown eyes entered the room behind Shikamaru and latched onto his arm territorially before kissing his cheek.

"And you've brought a hanger on! Just go sit, Shikamaru."

The boy simply shrugged as he moved to sit, the girl falling in step beside him and Ms. Yuhi could only shake her head. "I swear, that boy…" he tsked as she glanced back to the student before her and handed him his schedule. "Take a seat; as you can see, not that many students take the 'Arts in Different Media' course, but, then again, it's not exactly easy to get here."

He glanced around the room where maybe ten people at most were sitting and there was room for nearly three times the number from what he could tell. He sat at a table a couple of rows behind the boy who'd just walked in and was currently ignoring the inane chatter falling from the lips of his pink haired 'friend' and from his angle he was able to see the boys strong jaw, thin lips, and calculating brown eyes and he had to admit to himself that this young man was handsome, very handsome.

He pulled a sketchpad out of his messenger bag and placed a pencil to the paper, allowing his hand to create the image, keeping his mind out of the equation for as long as possible.

He wasn't sure how much time had gone by when a boy, taller than himself, but, not as tall as -what had his teacher called him, Shikamaru?- the brown haired boy in front of him, sat down by his side, his silvery hair falling over down to his shoulders in layers as large green eyes looked at him joyously.

"_That_ is a _gorgeous_ drawing!" the boy exclaimed as he leaned over him. "And the shading…wow. Have you had like….formal training or something?"

He cracked a small, shy smile and looked at the other boy whose smile grew at the acknowledgment of his presence. "I've just had a lot of time on my hands." He said softly.

"Wow! And your makeup, it's like…wow."

He laughed softly. "Thank you."

The other boy looked at him for a moment before turning his eyes back to his drawing and gushing over his skill and technique. "You know, this is really, _really_ good, you should show Shikamaru."

His brow furrowed and he looked down and it was then that he realized he'd been drawing the other boy's profile. He glanced back to where the silver haired boy sat, gazing at his work and shook his head.

"Oh, no." he said in whisper. "I really don't think-"

"Hey, Shikamaru!" the other boy yelled and his jaw dropped as the boy with the spiky ponytail looked over his shoulder and raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

"Come look at what….well, he never told me his name, but look at this amazing picture he drew of you!"

He watched with obvious apprehension as Shikamaru stood and sat down at the table in front of them before turning the chair around and looking down at the page. A smile crossed the brown eyed boy's lips and he looked up to lock eyes with anxious pale lavender orbs.

"What's your name?"

He swallowed thickly and gripped the sleeves of his oversized sweatshirt as he tried to break away from Shikamaru's calming gaze. "Neji." He said softly.

"Well, Neji, I have to say that this is quite the compliment." Shikamaru winked at the boy and chuckled when Neji's entire face turned the brightest shade of red in that instant as a shy smile came to his lips and he looked down, unsure of what to say. "You know,-"

"_Wow_, Shikamaru, this portrait really captures you, I've seen better, but, she's pretty good." The three boys looked up to where Shikamaru's companion stood over them, a paintbrush in her hand, splotches of black begging to drip off the tip.

Neji cleared his throat quietly, drawing attention back to himself and immediately flushing. "I…I'm actually a boy."

"Oh, really?" she asked in feigned innocence, her shrill laughter filling the otherwise quiet classroom. "I mean, I was sure with that makeup and those skintight jeans, not to mention that tongue ring that you were a girl." The last bit was said in disgust and under her breath, she made a disparaging comment about his tongue ring and the types of people who had them and Neji's eyes turned glassy.

"It's ok," he said in a strained whisper. He honestly didn't mind people mistaking his gender. In the past, it bothered him greatly, but, it was simply something he'd gotten used to, however, this girl was bringing up every insecurity Neji had, but, despite the fear of his makeup being brought up in conversation the way she had, he knew he couldn't go without it; it was his shield and he knew without it, he would crumble.

"What?! Are you blind, Tayuya? Neji's work is gorgeous!"

She scoffed. "Kaoru, you're always getting overexcited over the slightest thing. Ok, he's good, we all are, that's why we're here, but, god, calm down." She sat down beside Shikamaru and let her brush hang loosely, bobbing in the air and at an audible gasp from the pale eyed boy sitting across from her, she looked up and then followed his eyes to where a large blotch of black paint covered the drawn figure's head and was now dripping down across the page, over his chest and adding to the tiny puddle covering the head. She frowned as brush in her hand was torn from her fingers and looked up to where Shikamaru was glaring at her.

Neji snatched his book up and hurriedly stood up and ran out of the door just as the bell rang.

"Hey, Neji, wait up!" Kaoru called after him as he stood up to trail after the Hyuuga. He looked out of the door, watching the dark haired boy walk swiftly through the quickly crowding hallway before glancing back at Tayuya angrily. "You're not even in this class!"

Shikamaru shook his head at the girl, noticing a wallet on the floor. He stood up and walked around the table, opening the wallet before pocketing it and glimpsing back at the brown eyed girl. "You're far too insecure." He walked to the front of the room to where Ms. Yuhi sat with a hand on the small swell of her stomach. "Hey, Kurenai, got that new kid's schedule?"

--

End Chapter I

Yeah, I dunno.

Genma's Neji's counselor and Kurenia's his art teacher; she's pregnant.

Yes, this is the same Kaoru from 'Rescue Me' minus about a fifth of his crazy and Shikamaru was meant to call Kurenai, Kurenai.

Reviews are welcome as well as constructive comments. Flames will be used to keep me toasty.

torib0o(11/01/09)


	2. II

A/N: Thanks for the reviews and feedback for this story so far.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

--

Neji sighed deeply as he sat beneath one of many trees surrounding the lake of his high school. He'd run around the lake to sit on the side that was closest to the street, something he was sure could land him in a fair amount of trouble, but, at the moment, he didn't care. That girl was exactly the type of person he was expecting to run into, however, after speaking with Kaoru and Shikamaru, he'd let his guard down for a moment, but, that was all it took for someone to attack him.

He considered running into the bathroom, but, thought better of having a breakdown of any kind in the boy's room of a high school, especially when he thought of the strange boy with the facial tattoos. He sighed as he leaned back against the tree and tilted his head upward to prevent any tears from falling of his dismal thoughts; it wouldn't do if he ruined his makeup.

The weather was fluctuating again and he couldn't help but shiver as he brought his scarf up and over his mouth as he stuffed his hands into his gloves. When he went to school that morning, it'd been warm out, but, now, he was sure the temperature had dropped nearly twenty degrees. He watched as the water in the lake waved wildly when the wind blew once more and at his distance, he could faintly hear the bell ringing to signify the ending of the class he just skipped. _'Uncle Hiashi is not going to be pleased.'_

He sighed as he pulled out his schedule and groaned when he saw his next class was AP physics and it was then that he realized nearly all of his classes AP level, right down to his yoga and meditation class. He leaned back against the tree, wishing he could simply go home and go to bed, but, he knew it wasn't an option; one of the maids were likely to tell his uncle that he'd skipped school. _'I could always call Uncle and tell him I don't feel well, although, it is the first day of school, so, he'd probably see right through me. I could-"_

"Hey."

He was drawn out of his thoughts by a listless tone and the sound of leafs crunching beneath sneakers. His eyebrows rose in curiosity as watched the figure approaching him and at how slow they were walking, Neji wondered how long it took him to get around the lake in the first place.

He sat up and watched as the other boy plopped down before him, leaning back on his hands and releasing a sigh. He tilted his head curiously, wondering why this boy was sitting across from him and looking up at the cloudless sky with such avid interest before those brown eyes focused on him and the boy reached into his jeans, pulling something out and thrusting it at him.

"Here," he said dully. "You dropped this."

Neji looked down at the boy's hand and his mouth fell open at the sight of his wallet. He looked back up at him and cautiously to his wallet before shyly reaching out and snatching the small leather case. He quickly looked inside, making sure his bank card and license were still there before checking for his money and it was only when he was sure everything was as it should be that he looked up at the boy who'd brought it to him, the boy who'd turned his attention back to the clouds.

'_That was a really nice gesture.'_ Neji thought to himself. _'He could've taken it to the administration or left it with Ms. Yuhi, but, he went out of his way to give it to me.'_

"I…"

Shikamaru looked back to where Neji was grasping his wallet to his chest, a bright blush on his cheeks as he tried avoiding and looking at Shikamaru at the same time.

"Thank you." He said in a whisper. "I hadn't even realized I'd dropped it and you came out of your way to-"

Shikamaru chuckled lightly. "It's ok; I don't mind."

Neji looked up at the boy sitting across from him and blushed brightly when he found those brown eyes locked on him. There was something strangely calming about this boy and as much as Neji wanted to look away from the brown eyes boring into him, he couldn't. Shikamaru's countenance was expressionless and neutrally, he looked bored and maybe even a bit aggravated, but Neji could feel a certain warmth from him and it frightened him beyond thought.

In the time he'd spent in boarding school, he'd calmed down considerably. He was no longer obsessed with fatalism and convinced that one could not succeed if not dealt the proper hand at birth, in fact, he could only be seen as the same person in select aspects in his life because in others, Neji Hyuuga no longer existed.

He looked away from Shikamaru and drew his knees to his chest, blinking quickly and telling himself the wind was in his eyes. Despite the therapy he'd remained in until the day before he left, Neji could never find the strength to bring up _that_ subject, and, if he had- _'no, it's better that I didn't, he told me.'_ But, at times, the moment haunted him and shook him and he found himself feeling utterly claustrophobic no matter his surroundings.

"Hey," Neji looked up to Shikamaru, finding the other's eyebrows furrowed in confusion and his voice laced with concern. "You okay?"

He tucked a piece of hair behind his ear and blinked owlishly and Shikamaru couldn't help but smile. As annoying as he found it with other people, he couldn't help but find Neji's timidity somewhat heartwarming, however, he couldn't help but wonder what frightened the Hyuuga so and why he hesitated every time he opened his mouth.

"I….I…." Neji took a deep breath and shut his eyes before looking back at the other boy. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, you've just mumbling to yourself for the past couple of minutes."

Neji's eyes widened and he couldn't help but look off to the side. "Sorry."

Shikamaru tilted his head questioningly as he watched Neji's quivering form and he couldn't help but shrug his own jacket a bit closer. The weather lately had been painfully unpredictable, turning from sun to rain in a matter of minutes and Shikamaru could tell Neji wasn't used to it as he reached up to pull his little wool hat over his ears.

"Hey," Shikamaru said softly, drawing Neji's attention to himself. "How about we get out of here?"

"Wha--?"

"There's a little diner down the street and I could use a cup of coffee." He stood up and dusted off the seat of his pants before smiling down at Neji.

The Hyuuga weighed his choices in his head. Today was his first day of school, but, after his first class, he really wasn't in the mood to go back, however, if he skipped, he'd have to deal with an angry Hiashi. He looked up at Shikamaru and found himself staring into seemingly honest, dark brown orbs that appeared to be smiling joyously at the thought of steamy cup of coffee to warm him from the cool weather.

Neji stood, wrapping his green canvas coat more tightly around his slender form and speaking softly.

"You know, tea is much better for you than coffee."

"Ah, but, I need the caffeine; I'm kind of lazy."

Neji smiled at Shikamaru's languid, jovial tone. "Tea has caffeine as well."

He would deal with his uncle when the time came, right now, a cup of tea was just what he needed.

--

End Chapter II

This story wants to be written, so, I'm indulging it.

The weather has been crazy lately and I do own a green canvas coat and I love it ^_^

torib0o(11/02/09)


	3. III

A/N: Thanks for the reviews and feedback so far; you guy are _amazing_.

**For dearest Maddy because she's ill and lives in the closest of my mind ;)**

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

--

Neji glanced at Shikamaru from the corner of his eye during the entire walk to the diner. The other boy was a beautiful sight and Neji wanted nothing more than to simply watch him and take in his gorgeously high cheek bones, thin, perfectly shaped lips, and soft mocha skin. He'd never marveled at a human being for so long and as the walk took ten to twelve minutes, Neji was sure that he never once noticed the variety of take out and fast food restaurants lining the long street. It was only when his eyes fell on an incredibly tall building that he came back to himself and realized they were in front of the diner.

He'd forgotten this place. It'd been six years and he'd forgotten so much of it. When he'd left for boarding school, Neji was entirely miserable and blamed his uncle wholeheartedly for his discontent, and, after being there a mere three months, Neji cracked and crumbled and pleaded with uncle that he may return. However, Hiashi was firm in his decision, feeling that Neji couldn't have possibly changed in such a short amount of time. In addition to his refusal to bring Neji home, Hiashi forbad him to leave the school to return home short of someone dying or the school being destroyed.

Hiashi's decision broke Neji's heart and he rebelled, doing what he wanted, when he wanted with, whom he wanted. He'd gotten several body piercings and tattoos, all in well hidden places, but, the short amount of physical pain that he felt did little to distract him from the pain of his uncle refusing him and slowly, he fell into himself.

Initially, he calmed down, almost overnight and removed several of his metal adornments. He became, polite and courteous, although, his actions remained somewhat hostile and bitter, but, those emotions soon faded and he took everything in stride. However, he soon became observant, noticing everyone around him and every meter of any room he occupied. He became paranoid, worrying that every ill mannered soul was against him and that the world around him was plotting his failure, that he was cursed to remain at his boarding school for an eternity as punishment for being so smug, cruel, and arrogant once upon a time. Then came his depression. There were days when he would simply lay in his dorm and cry, much to the discontent of his roommate, wondering if his uncle would ever let him go home. In truth, in six years, one would think he'd grow accustomed to his surroundings, but, when Neji Hyuuga decided he didn't want something, he would never want it and only distance himself from the situation as time went on. Of course, he would do his best to complete his task so that could finish the unpleasantry that much sooner, be able to leave that much sooner, but, he would never enjoy himself.

His psychiatrist was at a loss and Neji knew the man pleaded with Hiashi to take him home, but, the man adamantly refused, believing he was doing the right thing. It was only three months prior when Neji's incident occurred and, after his extended stay in the infirmary, the administration demanded Neji's uncle take him home, fearing for the boy's mental health when he refused to speak to anyone after the incident including his psychiatrist. He was diagnosed with selective mutism, refusing to speak and Neji spent nearly a month in his uncle's home before he could bring himself to speak without whimpers or tiny, fearful sounds coming forth with his words.

In fact, if he cared to think about it, which he did not, Kaoru was the first person Neji had held a conversation with in three months, as short as that conversation may have been and Neji felt good. However, he felt slightly better when he realized someone sought him out to return something that was rightfully his, to perform a good deed for him, to treat him with kindness. Kindness that wasn't laced with careful words and cautious smiles, kindness that wasn't used to break him body and spirit, kindness that wasn't laced with sympathy and gentle touches. Simply kindness and it was something he realized his heart had been aching for.

"Hey, you ok?"

Neji jolted a bit as he turned to his right, realizing Shikamaru had already climbed the three short stairs and was holding the door to the restaurant open for him. Neji gripped his bag and moved up the staircase to join the Nara, following Shikamaru inside and subconsciously using the younger man as a shield from the restaurant patrons enjoying breakfast and early lunches.

Shikamaru sat on a barstool, ignoring the man at the register as he asked if the people behind them would like a table or booth. Neji simply tilted his head and when Shikamaru turned around to smile at him, he couldn't help but blush once more.

"Why don't you take a seat?" the Nara said, patting the stool beside himself. "I just want to wait a few minutes to see if-"

"Hey, Shikamaru!" Neji jerked at the loud call of Shikamaru's name and his jaw dropped as a large man with a head full of red hair came from out of the kitchen and he prayed that the man hadn't been cooking.

"What are you doing here, skipping out on classes again, eh?" the man asked as he came around the counter, wrapping an arm the boy's neck. "Just don't bring my boy down with you!"

Shikamaru laughed as he gripped the man's arm. "I wouldn't dream of it, uncle Choza."

Neji watched them interact for a moment, feeling horribly out of place and his hands gripped the strap of his bag once more, twisting the coarse material roughly.

"This is Neji, I thought I'd bring him by for a bite; we're kind of hungry."

"That's fine, Shikamaru, order what you like, but, I want you heading back to school if you end up getting bored; I don't need your mother harping on me for letting you skip _and_ wander around the city." The man shuddered at the thought of Shikamaru's mother and wondered how his best friend dealt with such a formidable woman, but, then again, Shikaku had always enjoyed a challenge.

Shikamaru laughed once more. "You got it, uncle."

Choza grinned as he moved to a coat rack and slipped on his coat before turning back to the boys and nodding, "I'm heading to the restaurant a couple of cities over, so, I'll see you in a few days. Take care, Shikamaru."

"Alright, have a good trip and thanks."

"No problem!" he exclaimed before turning to the man working the register. "Give my nephew and his friend there what they want, no charge." The man nodded and Choza left, leaving Shikamaru and Neji to themselves.

Shikamaru turned back to Neji and smiled at the elder boy whose gaze was locked on the floor. "Hey," he called, getting Neji's attention as the boy looked at him through his bangs. "How about we get a booth?"

--

Neji poked at the plate of fries sitting in front of him and looked up to watch Shikamaru take a bite out of steak sandwich before the younger boy lowered it and stared blankly at Neji. He felt his skin crawling and pressed his back against the leather seat.

"So," Shikamaru said as he watched Neji's frantic eyes and despite the Hyuuga's lack of visible pupil, Shikamaru was sure Neji's eyes were darting back and forth. "Where are you from?"

Neji furrowed his brow a bit and tilted his head questioningly and Shikamaru couldn't help but smile "Huh?"

He chuckled. "You know, where are you from? You're new at the high school."

"Oh!" Neji took a cautious sip or his tea, his eyes never leaving Shikamaru. "Well, I'm from here originally, but, I've been overseas at a boarding school."

Even as his eyes were on Shikamaru's, the Nara could see Neji's shoulders slumping and his eyes becoming glassy and he saw from the older boy's body language that his experiences away from home had been less than pleasant. Although, he wasn't going to pry and ask for details on the situation, he felt somewhat bad for Neji; the Hyuuga looked so fragile, so delicate and his paranoia rolled off of him in waves. So, at the risk of him breaking down, Shikamaru changed the subject.

"Do you do any sports?"

Neji looked up from where his eyes had drifted. "Sports?"

"Yeah, sports, athletic activities; baseball, football, basketball, etcetera."

"I couldn't help but notice you've only mentioned team sports."

"All sports are played on teams."

Neji shook his head. "Baseball, basketball, football; generally, they're team against team, but, two people could have a bike or swimming race against each other."

"So, does that mean you do biking or swimming?" Shikamaru asked as he plucked a fry off of Neji's plate.

Neji's jaw dropped and he pulled the plate closer to him. "Those are mine!"

Shikamaru snorted. "You're not eating them; I'm trying to save you from wasting food."

"Hmph!" Neji pouted and Shikamaru had an overwhelming urge to 'aww' at the older boy, but, he restrained himself. He watched as Neji picked up a fry and nibbled a bit. The Hyuuga looked up at him and blinked before speaking softly. "I don't play sports; I'm not very competitive. Do you do any?"

He shrugged a shoulder as he finished off his sandwich. "Wrestling in the fall, baseball in the spring."

"Oh." Neji furrowed his brow. Shikamaru was so athletic, and even though Neji hadn't seen any proof of it, he knew the Nara had artistic talents as well and he couldn't help but feel a bit jealous, wishing he was as well rounded as the Shikamaru.

"Stop."

He looked up to find brown eyes boring into him. "Stop what?"

"Stop thinking so hard about whatever's bothering you so much." He took a sip of soda. "Now, tell me about yourself."

"Why?"

"Why what?"

Neji huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "Why are you being so nice to me?"

Shikamaru raised a brow. "Is there any reason I shouldn't be? You're new here, I thought you could use a friend, simple as that." He shrugged. "Unless you have a random tendency to murder those who try to befriend you, then I might have to back off."

Neji blinked. "Wha-?"

"You need a friend, man, and normally, I'm not one to seek people out, but, you looked pretty upset after what happened this morning and I couldn't let you go without checking to see if you were alright."

"Oh." Neji lowered his head. Shikamaru really was a kind person, a genuine person and Neji didn't quite know how to react to him. "Thank you."

He smiled. "It's no problem. Now, that drawing, that was something amazing; have you had formal training?"

Neji felt his cheeks heat up at the Nara's praise. "No, I haven't; I've just had a lot of time on my hands."

"Well, your skill shows. If there was an art class above the one we're in, you'd have no problem getting into it. Can I see the drawing again?"

"I…umm….I threw it away; the paint was the same color as the graphite and it couldn't be saved."

"That's too bad."

Neji shrugged. "I can always draw another."

"Can you now?"

Neji looked up to where Shikamaru was smirking at him and as his cheeks burned, he couldn't help but wonder if his reddened face would be a regular occurrence. "W…well….I..I meant if you would…..but you don't have to let me! But your face is….and you're….good to draw."

Shikamaru looked at Neji for a mere moment before he burst out laughing and as he laughed, Neji stared at him. At first, he felt a bit confused and maybe a bit of a sting knowing Shikamaru was laughing at him, but, as tears came to the corners of the taller boy's eyes, Neji couldn't help but smile and laugh a little himself.

He looked up at the sound of soft, laughter and smiled softly at Neji. The sound was akin to silk, slippery and soft, sliding over his eardrums like water over his body as his skin broke out in goose bumps. Neji's face when he laughed was absolutely joyous as eyes closed and he held one of those pale hands in front of his mouth.

"So," Shikamaru said lowly as Neji's eyes fell back to his and he smiled at Hyuuga, happy that the older boy eyes were locked on his. "Tell me about yourself."

Neji released a deep breath as Shikamaru spoke to him, feeling a strange chill overcome his outer body as he melted inwardly. "About myself?" his voice was breathy and once more, his eyes were locked on Shikamaru's, unable to break away.

"Yes, just about you, anything you can say about yourself without having to think about it."

Neji bit his lip and tried to pull his eyes away from Shikamaru's, trailing over the younger boy's face and it was then that he realized Shikamaru had two hoops side by side in the lower left corner of his lip and a stud on the right. He stared at the Nara's lips, wondering how he'd missed them during his previous assessment of the boy's facial structure, but, when Shikamaru wiggled the rings with his tongue, a smirk on his lips and an eyebrow raised somewhat cockily, Neji jolted and remembered he'd been asked a question.

"Well," Neji said, his voice as soft as ever. "My name is Neji Hyuuga, I'm seventeen years old, and I speak four languages."

"Mhm." Shikamaru smiled.

"I play the piano and I'm an avid supporter of the arts."

"Mhm."

"And…well, that's about it." Neji said, lowering his eyes once more before bringing them back to Shikamaru's contented gaze. "I'm actually rather boring."

Shikamaru laughed. "When describing oneself, there is little one can to make oneself interesting. Well, unless one is completely narcissistic."

Neji smiled at Shikamaru, laughing softly. "Why don't you tell me about yourself?"

"Alright," Shikamaru said as his laughter died down. "I'm Shikamaru Nara, I play the guitar, and I have a cat named Utopias. I dig a good nap underneath a tree on a warm day or cloud gazing."

Neji blinked. "You have a cat?"

"Yup!" Shikamaru grinned. "He's my baby and I'll tell you, he enjoys nothing more than a good petting session and a nap."

"Sounds like a typical man."

Shikamaru released a loud, honking laugh at Neji's dry wit, several of the restaurant's patrons turning to look at him. "He takes after me."

Neji chuckled and shook his head. "But, why Utopias? Does he answer to it?"

"Nah, most of the time, I just call him Upie or PowPow and before you ask, yes he does answer to those names." They laughed softly as they watched each other and Neji could tear his eyes away from the glinting hoops in Shikamaru's lip.

"So, anything else I should know about you?"

Neji bit his lip. "Well, I love animals and tattoos and piercings."

"Is that why you're having such a hard time taking your eyes off my bites?"

"I think it's because I miss my own."

Shikamaru raised a brow and lowered his eyes to Neji's lips. They were beautifully plump and painted a deep red that should have looked ridiculous on someone of his completion accompanied by his strange attire of an oversized hooded sweatshirt, skinny jeans, and knee length boots, but, he couldn't help but find the Hyuuga adorable. He narrowed his eyes and it was then that he noticed two tiny holes on either side of the Hyuuga's lower lip and another on his left nostril, and he knew that the older boy must've taken them out in a fairly recent timeframe.

"Why'd you take them out?"

Neji shrugged. "I came home." As one of the waitresses came by, he asked for another cup of tea. "It's not a big deal; I just haven't told me uncle about my piercings and tattoos yet. I mean, I've still got my other piercings in and I just have to keep myself covered for a little while until I can tell him."

"You've got a lot?"

Neji nodded shyly, thanking the woman for his tea. "The human body should be celebrated and I choose to celebrate mine by decorating it with works of arts and ornaments."

"That's an interesting way to think."

Neji smiled. "I think so too."

"So, what are the works of art?"

"Mostly nature inspired things that I've designed, a few astrological symbols, nothing special."

The Nara nodded. "And the piercings?"

Neji's cheeks heated and he cleared his throat. "My hips, belly button, and nipples. I've also got my tongue, lips, and nose."

"I see." Shikamaru said, picturing the older boy's face with such copious amounts of metal before his eyes trailed downward, trying to imagine that svelte body with so much decoration.

"I mean, I don't keep all of my facial piercings in at the same time!" he exclaimed. "I rarely use my snakebites anymore, and when I do, I take my nose ring out."

Shikamaru shrugged. "Whatever you dig, man."

Neji nodded and sighed softly. He was wary of Shikamaru finding his penchant for body modification odd, and why he cared particularly of what Shikamaru thought made his blood warm satisfyingly. He was somewhat joyous that the Nara didn't care about what he liked to with his body and found his way of describing himself interesting. As he watched the streets, the crowds of students pouring down the street made his eyes widen. What time was it?

"Is it really three fifteen?!" Neji yelped as his eyes landed on the diner's clock. How had they spent five and a half hours in a diner talking about nothing?

"Yeah," Shikamaru said with a lazy yawn.

"I've got to get home." He said as he slipped the strap of his bag over his head, exiting the booth. He faced Shikamaru and smiled somewhat awkwardly before speaking softly. "Thanks for everything today, it was really nice."

"Sure, Neji; anytime." The Nara smiled, watching as Neji left the diner and turned left, heading to the north end of town. He relaxed for a moment before the door to the diner slammed open and a girl with hair the color of grapefruit growled out his name.

"Shikamaru!"

--

Neji bit his lip gently as he shut the door behind himself, hoping against hope that he was home alone, but, when a mahogany door slid open to his right, Neji yelped and his uncle dropped the papers in his hands at his noise.

"I'm sorry, sir, I wasn't aware that you were home." Neji said in a whisper as he dropped to his knees to collect the papers that now lay on the floor.

"Neji-"

"I apologize, sir, I'll fix them." He tried to slip the papers back into their folders by matching the names on the papers to the ones on the tabs, following the numbers on the bottom of each page to make sure they were in the proper order.

"Neji-"

He stood up and thrust the folders out towards his uncle, his head lowered the entire time. "I'm sorry."

Hiashi sighed sadly as he withdrew the folders from Neji's grasp and felt his heart clench when he found Neji's body trembling as the young man refused to look him in the eye. It'd been this way since Neji returned and Hiashi couldn't help but wonder what happened to his firecracker of a nephew. What happened to the young man who never backed down from a challenge and held his head high with pride and sickening sense of superiority? What happened to Neji?

He'd hardly been able to get a word out of Neji since he returned home and Hiashi found himself concerned by the way Neji dropped anything he was doing when Hiashi entered a room, waiting for his uncle to finish before completing his task. Hiashi already spoke with Neji's former psychiatrist several times and the man told him each time that Neji's sessions were confidential and that it would be unethical to release any of the boy's information without his consent. However, he did assess the situation Hiashi described as their everyday life and the man told Hiashi that it was more than likely that Neji was frightened of Hiashi and afraid to displease him, lest he be sent off again, so, he simply stopped everything.

"Neji," Hiashi called, watched as the boy nodded his lowered head.

"Sir?"

"How are you today?"

Hiashi watched as Neji stood before him, and after several minutes standing in the foyer of their home, Hiashi sighed; it would seem that Neji was no longer willing to speak. He reached and gave Neji's shoulder a gentle pat and beneath his nephew's jacket, he could his muscles tensing at the contact. Immediately, Hiashi released him, watching as Neji relaxed as he stepped away from his nephew.

"You're free to go, Neji." And as Neji quickly moved to the staircase, his head lowered the entire time, Hiashi called out, "Will you be joining us for dinner this evening?"

Neji paused and Hiashi had to strain his ears to hear Neji's whispered request to be excused.

"Of course," he replied. "You may join us when you are ready."

As he entered the kitchen, Hiashi sighed as he leaned against a marble countertop and looked upward. "I am so sorry, Hizashi, I've made a terrible mistake."

--

A/N:

End chapter III

Who wants explanations?

Ok, in episode 82 of Naruto Shippudden, Ino asks Chouji where Shikamaru is and Chouji's subtitled, English response is, 'his mom said he already left' HOWEVER, in the Japanese audio, he says 'baachan'. As we all know, baachan/san/sama can mean aunt, grandmother, esteemed female elder, familiar older woman, WHATEVER, so yeah. Shika, Ino, and Chouji will refer to each other's parents as 'aunt' and 'uncle', cool? Cool.

The piercings Shikamaru has are called spider bites and snake bites.

Pencils do not have lead in them, they have graphite or charcoal or colored pigment.

Reviews/ opinions/ constructive criticism are all appreciated.

torib0o(11/07/09)


	4. IV Part I

A/N: Didn't really want to update this story next, but, the one I want to update is nearly finished but saved somewhere else -_-

Thanks for the all the feedback here.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

--

Neji winced as he rubbed a saline soaked cotton swab against and around the little balls in his hips, silently regretting the piercings. He'd gotten them a month before his incident and was pleasantly surprised to find them not torn from his body when he'd awoken in the infirmary, but, now he was beginning to see what a pain they were. When he wore tight jeans, they were pulled harshly and his usual t-shirts were no different. While he'd been home, he'd taken to wearing low-rise jeans and sweatpants with oversized t-shirts and he was growing tired of it.

He stepped back and looked at himself in the mirror and quickly began to put his hair into a ponytail, but, instead of pulling his hair all the way through the band, he stopped halfway through the action, leaving it in a loop, his only clothing a pair of comfortable boxer-briefs. His face was bare of any makeup and it made him cringe to look at himself; he felt absolutely naked. He turned to his left side to look at the flowering vines tattooed on his ribs, lifting his arm just as a knock sounded.

"Neji?"

His heart raced and for a moment, he was stilled by his anxiety. He looked to the door as he heard his name being called once more and quickly threw an oversized shirt over his head and opened the door as he lowered his head.

"Uncle?"

Hiashi sighed at Neji's submissive stance and shook his head, wondering if this would get any better. Since Neji began school that week, Hiashi found that his nephew had not grown any closer to him and he understood perfectly well that coping with this condition would be difficult for Neji to overcome. However, he was surprised to see a muscular, mocha toned boy walking his nephew home for the past few days and even more surprised to see Neji interacting with him and laughing at times. And although it wasn't he to whom Neji was speaking, Hiashi was glad that his nephew had someone to speak to.

Hiashi's career took up most of his time, but, the evening prior, he'd immersed himself within various internet pages and borrowed medical books to find out everything he could about Neji's condition and found that generally, selective mutism was a childhood condition that one could gradually come out of while remaining somewhat docile in nature. However, as he read, Hiashi had to question the validity of the doctor's diagnosis of his nephew.

It would seem to Hiashi, the intelligent man he was, that Neji was suffering from extreme anxiety while exhibiting symptoms of selective mutism, however, he was not a doctor and whenever he mentioned one to Neji, his nephew turned ashen.

Looking down at him now, Hiashi knew he would have to get Neji back into therapy quickly, no matter how much Neji silently refused. He wanted to tell Neji that he'd scheduled him a doctor's appointment next week, but, he kept the word to himself. As he opened his mouth to speak, his eyebrows shot up as his jaw dropped. There, on the back of Neji's bare neck lay an inked symbol of what Hiashi knew to be Neji's zodiac symbol of Cancer and his own of Capricorn, the two artfully intertwined and he knew the connection was not for he and Neji but for Neji and his father. He closed his mouth and released soft breath through his nose; he could say nothing of this.

"I will be coming to pick you from school next Wednesday." He said softly. "I hope you do not have plans for this day." Neji shook his head slowly, negatively. "Wonderful."

Neji nodded as he looked up through his bangs, curiosity and apprehension burning in his stomach as he prayed Hiashi wasn't sending him away.

"Have I….angered you, sir?" he asked softly, his voice cracking from lack of use.

Hiashi's brows shot up. "No, you've done nothing; we've somewhere to visit." Neji nodded softly, watching Hiashi turn to exit the bathroom before the man turned around and spoke teasingly to his nephew. "By the way," he said. "there's a young man outside with a cat on a leash. Oddly enough, he appears to be sleeping."

Neji's eyes widened and the moment his uncle closed the bathroom door, he shot over to the window and his jaw dropped at the sight of Shikamaru sitting on the brick stairs outside, apparently dozing against the stone platforms as a beautiful calico cat rested at his feet. Neji wanted to yell out of the window to the Nara to ask what he was doing there, but, he vaguely remembered Shikamaru asking him to hang out the day before and mumbling vague agreement.

As he looked down at Shikamaru, he couldn't help but smile. Every day since his arrival that past Monday, Shikamaru would spend some part of his day speaking or hanging out with Neji. Even if it was only ten minutes during the day to spend the twenty five minute walk with him from the high school to his house, Neji would have Shikamaru's undivided attention and although he was sure his nervousness annoyed Shikamaru at times, the Nara was either kind or apathetic, so, Neji didn't feel the usual apprehension that drove him to physical illness.

He sighed as he leaned against the window. It was a Saturday and he had equivocally agreed to hang out with Shikamaru. He smiled to himself as he pulled off his clothes and carefully clipped his hair up before stepping into the shower.

--

Shikamaru winced as he was roused from his sleep by the closing of a door behind him. Hearing a soft meowing, he looked down and pulled Utopias into his lap and scratched behind his ear softly before the cat stretched out on him, yawned, and curled back up into a comfortable ball, drifting into sleep.

He sat up against the stone platforms he was resting against and quirked a brow at them. If not for the finely, smoothed cement top layer, they could simply be widely spaced stairs, but, he doubted Neji's family would appreciate him sprawling out over the wide surface. As someone cleared their throat behind him, Shikamaru looked up to find a man with pale eyes looking down at him with both amusement and curiosity.

"Hello." The man said pleasantly, his deep voice warm and welcoming. "I am Hiashi Hyuuga."

He nodded as he stood, shifting his cat to rest in one arm before extending a hand. "Shikamaru Nara."

Hiashi quirked a brow but said nothing of his thoughts. "Is there a particular reason you're sleeping on my property?"

"Well," Shikamaru said, his tone bored. "I usually walk around ritzy neighborhoods trying to decide which overdone staircase is the most comfortable. Congratulations, you've won today."

Hiashi shook his head while suppressing laughter. "You are certainly your father's child, Shikamaru."

He quirked a smile. "Dad said he missed you at Xiang Ritz last week; hopes you're not skipping out on your bet."

Hiashi threw his head back as he laughed, clamping a firm hand on Shikamaru's shoulder. "Thank you, oh, kind messenger; I'll have to call Shikaku later to clear that up with him, the old stag."

Shikamaru chuckled lowly as he sat on one of the stone platforms; now that he knew with whom Neji lived, Shikamaru was sure he'd be alright sitting on the platform. True, the house looked familiar but he hadn't seen it in years.

Initially, Hiashi had simply been Shikamaru's father's attorney, but, somehow they'd mixed business with pleasure and had grown to be very close friends. Of course, Hiashi was still Shikaku's attorney and Shikaku paid the same monthly dues and charges as anyone else, but, when enjoying each other's company they never brought up matters of business.

"Did you really not recognize me?" Shikamaru asked as he pet Utopias.

"Not until you turned around, but, that hairstyle of yours should've been a given." He cleared his throat and Shikamaru raised his eyebrow in amusement.

"Yes, Mr. Hyuuga?"

Hiashi coughed softly. "Yes, well, have you been the one walking my nephew home the past few days?"

"Mhm." Shikamaru smiled.

"That's nice." Hiashi said softly. "And he's…" how exactly could he ask of Neji's wellbeing without seeming like a bad caretaker, to his nephew's friend of all people. He released a deep breath and rolled his keys around in his pocket as he searched for the words to say.

"You Hyuugas worry too much," Shikamaru said blandly. "Neji's fine, he's good company and he's a really nice guy. You shouldn't be so worried about him."

Hiashi looked to where Shikamaru was watching him boredly and he couldn't help but be marveled by the young man's blunt nature. "It's a bit difficult not to be." he admitted quietly.

"Hmm," Shikamaru watched the man, wondering how much would be too much to say. "I'm sure whatever is happening will work itself out in time; Neji's a bit anxious, but, he's got a good head on his shoulders and a good heart…"

Hiashi looked a Shikamaru, a bit surprised but grateful. He smiled and nodded thankfully at the young man before him. "Thank you, Shikamaru, for your kind words. The door is unlocked, so you're more than welcome to go on in; I have to go to the bank before it closes, early hours on Saturday, you know. Have a good day."

Shikamaru watched as Hiashi rushed to his car before driving down the street and laid out on the hard stone he was sat upon, thinking of the things he'd said to Hiashi.

True, Neji had a good head on his shoulders, a good heart, and, as Shikamaru saw since he met Neji, in the sparse time they spent together, a beautiful soul. There was a certain way about the way Neji presented himself and explained certain situations. There was something breathtaking about the way he spoke about others and himself and the differences between the equally delicate ways he held a fork and a paintbrush or a pencil. There was something astonishing about the way Neji seemed to sense danger or trouble and turn tail before it had a chance to get to him. And, there was something frightening about Neji when his buttons were pressed too hard and he would become so, devastatingly upset that he could do nothing but run and hide himself away and Shikamaru couldn't tell if it was for Neji's own safety or that of the person who would upset him so. There was simply something about Neji and the way he did most things.

Shikamaru yawned sleepily as he closed his eyes, hoping Neji would hurry up.

--

When Shikamaru awoke again, it was due to an annoying prodding in the side of his head and looking up, he found the source. Neji was crouched on the on wide platform above in a pair of fluffy platform slippers, jeans and an oversized pullover and he quirked a brow at the smile the older boy wore.

"Comfortable?" Neji asked, shifting a bit and falling forward to rest upon his knees.

"Quite." His eyes darted to the sleeping mass in Shikamaru's arms and the Nara laughed as Neji's fingers twitched. He looked up to Shikamaru's eyes and blushed deeply as he stuck his hands in his pockets.

"So, what you doing here?"

Shikamaru grinned sleepily. "You obscurely agreed to hang out with me."

Neji made a confused sound. "How can someone obscurely agree to do anything?"

He shrugged. "Beats me, but, you did it."

Neji's eyes widened as his jaw dropped, but, he couldn't help but laugh at Shikamaru and his roundabout way of speaking. Neji shook his head as he smiled before standing up. "Do you want to come in? It's a bit cold out and I'm not exactly dressed for it." He said as he motioned to the thin, oversized sweatshirt he wore.

Shikamaru shrugged as he stood up, he had been outside for awhile and judging by the clouds, they were due for a light rain. He lightly stroked the top of his cat's head, waiting until he yawned widely and stretched out before placing him on the ground. Shikamaru watched his cat stand and blink at him before he started walking in the direction of Neji's open door, the Hyuuga leading the way.

It'd been a long while since Shikamaru had last been in Hiashi's home, but, everything was just as he remembered, down to the barely visible ring on the living room coffee table where someone had forgotten to lay a coaster. The house was decorated expensively in the lower level, but not without a certain warmth. Everything was homey, minimalistic, and expensive and Shikamaru thought it was a wonder that Hiashi had managed to get furniture that exuded warmth, welcome, and wealth.

He sat down on the living room couch, savoring the firm but soft cushions before settling back and feeling Utopias climb into his lap. The house was pleasantly warm and Shikamaru wouldn't have cared he never moved from the spot again.

Neji watched his friend with a raised eyebrow, noting how comfortable Shikamaru seemed in his home; the Nara knowing to remove his shoes before Neji mentioned it and not to lay on decorative accent pillows on the couch. He bit his lip and said nothing of his curiosity before rushing up the stairs to change into something more comfortable.

As he entered his bedroom, he pulled his sweatshirt over his head and looked down at his hips, he wanted to take his piercings out, but, he'd been so lucky with them so far; his body hadn't rejected them and they hadn't been ripped from his body during the incident, but, they were so uncomfortable, however, he knew if took them out, they would leave ugly black marks in their wake and that was something he absolutely did not want.

As Neji ran his hands over his jeweled hips, he never noticed the curious little creature pushing his cracked door open and when he heard a soft 'meow', he jumped nearly a foot in the air. Turning around, Neji restrained the cooing sound he felt tickling in this throat as he watched Shikamaru's calico cat make himself comfortable in Neji's mess of floor pillows and throw blankets before settling down.

Neji was sure he'd never seen such a lazy cat; it'd been sleeping nearly every instance he saw it. Making sure Shikamaru wasn't lurking outside his door, Neji made his way over to the where the cat rest and sat down beside him, raising a hand to lightly pet his head. Neji smiled when the animal bought his head back and tentatively sniffed at his hand before licking it and crawling Into Neji's lap and turning on his back.

"Well, you certainly know what you want." Neji said softly, remembering Shikamaru's words earlier that week. He put a hand on the cat's stomach and almost immediately heard a soft purring. "Oh," he cooed. "Aren't you a pretty kitty? Yes you are."

Neji was so immersed in his praising of the cat in his lap that he never heard footsteps moving throughout his house, nor the bathroom door in the hallway shut, nor the toilet flush, but, he heard a deep chuckle that was quickly growing to be familiar and a voice that reminded him a smooth velvet.

"_What_ are you doing to my cat?" Shikamaru teased as he leaned against Neji's doorframe.

He blushed at having been caught cooing over the cat that was still in his lap and then more deeply at being seen without a shirt on. He gently moved the cat onto the pillow beside him and stood up, quickly making his way to his dresser and throwing a shirt over his heard, not missing the way Shikamaru's eyes widened and roved over his body before he covered himself.

"Shit, man." The Nara whistled. "That's a lot of ink and metal; where the hell do you go in boarding school that they don't card you?"

Neji shrugged, crossing his arms over his chest. "It's boarding school and I was in Europe, so, there was always somewhere I could go without being carded and after awhile," He motioned to his body. "I became a familiar face, so, I was welcome."

Shikamaru nodded. It was obvious that Neji was still somewhat uncomfortable around him, if he were to judge by the way the older boy jumped and ran for clothing, wanting to be covered from Shikamaru's eyes. However, he didn't speak anywhere near as softly as he had during the first few days he'd spent in the Nara's presence and at the moment, his face was void of any trace of makeup, so Shikamaru assumed Neji couldn't feel too nervous around him.

"Hmm,"

"What?" he pushed an errant piece of hair behind his ear. "What is it?"

"Nothing." Shikamaru said with a shrug. "They just suit you, is all."

Neji looked at Shikamaru, his cheeks warming at the Nara's words. "Thank you."

He thought they suited him as well.

--

"So, do you want to come in? You've just been leaning in my doorway for awhile." Neji smiled at Shikamaru and the Nara couldn't help but smile back.

"S'ok to sit?" he asked, thinking on how he'd previously sat on the stairs outside but when Neji patted a cushion across from him, Shikamaru plopped down and released a sigh. "This is comfortable." He mused as he shifted around a bit, taking in Neji's bedroom as he did so.

He wasn't sure what he was expecting to see if he ever saw Neji's bedroom, but, it certainly wasn't this. The Hyuuga's room was filled with warm colors and while there wasn't much in it, it certainly didn't feel empty. The walls were painted a deep burgundy color and his carpet was a deep chocolate brown, made of plush, soft fibers. There was a desk with a laptop, lamp, small cup of writing utensils, and other odds and ends upon it and sitting beside that, a large bookcase. Across the room, was a low dresser and resting atop it was a box of tissues and various makeup tools and a mirror hung on the wall above it. Beside the dresser was a closet, the doors closed, but, beside the closet was a full body mirror. Shikamaru continued to let his eyes rove a bit more and he could've moaned at the sight of Neji's bed, wondering how he didn't see it before. The Hyuuga's bed was large, ridiculously large and Shikamaru was sure that it was meant to fit several people; the sheets were also a deep brown color and Shikamaru could tell that the thread count must have been high because, while the sheet shimmered, he knew they were not silk and they looked so, very soft. However, his favorite part of Neji's bedroom was where they were sat amongst various floor and throw pillows in shades of burnt orange, forest greens, grays, and cobalt blues and comfortable, fuzzy blankets. Neji's room reminded him of autumn and the room smelled of fresh rain; it was all very comforting and comfortable.

"So," Neji said, bringing Shikamaru out of his daze. "You still haven't introduced us properly."

He raised a brow. He and Neji had been spending time together for nearly a week; did he really want an introduction now? "What are you talking about?" Shikamaru asked around a yawn.

Neji huffed. "Your cat."

Shikamaru smiled as he sat up and reached his arms out for Utopias. He took the cat out his harness then held him around his belly. "Upie, see the guy over there who's trying to annex you? Hmm, that's Neji." Neji blushed a bit as he looked away and Shikamaru couldn't help but laugh as his cat meowed and pulled out of his grasp to rub against Neji. "Neji, that's Upie."

Neji picked the cat up and laughed softly as his rough tongued licked at his face. "Oh, yuck!" Shikamaru laughed along with Neji; it wasn't often his cat got along with people outside of his home. The cat was never abrasive, merely apathetic and Shikamaru was happy to see him getting along with Neji.

"So, what do you wanna do today?" Shikamaru asked as Neji taunted Upie with a piece of string.

"Hmm?" he dropped the string from above his head and it floated down to where Upie was waiting to pounce. "How about we go for a walk in the woods?"

"Those woods aren't very deep, but, you know there are wolves and bears and such right?"

"Really?"

"Mmm."

Neji thought it over for a moment before shrugging; it was nearing four in the afternoon and autumn sun would be setting soon. He stood and crossed the room, digging through his closet for a pair of old sneakers and a thick sweater before turning back to Shikamaru with a smile on his face.

"Let's get going before it rains!"

--

A/N: End chapter IV

I'm going to start titling these chapters because this is two parter and the second part should be up soon.

A stag is a male deer.

To do something **equivocally** is to do something in **vague** manner **on purpose**; to do something **ambiguously** is do is to it either **accidently or on purpose**.

I didn't describe Neji's hair very well and that pisses me off. It's like when you pull your hair through a hair tie for a ponytail but you don't pull the hair all the way through so it's hanging and it's kind of like a bun. Ugh, I suck at explaining things.

So, are we liking it so far?

Reviews are appreciated.

torib0o(11/15/09)


	5. IV Part II

A/N: Thanks for the reviews. I've been writing more original stuff lately. If you're interested in some short, _not_ happy, introspective stories, let me know and I'll drop you a link, mmkay?

Thanks for all the attention on this fic.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or the notion of Keekee. Credit to Keekee goes to Cinematics on THF.

--

Their walk had been quick and quiet and Neji found himself enjoying the company of another more than he thought he would ever be able to again. He and Shikamaru hadn't spoken much. In fact, Neji was sure they hadn't shared a paragraph worth of dialogue between them, but, the silence was comfortable and he was more relaxed than he'd been in weeks.

The crisp autumn air wafted through his system and his heart hammered in his chest. He felt truly alive and he was painfully content over the fact; it'd been so long since he felt alive instead of just living and going through daily motions and rituals. As they came to a small creek, Neji plopped down on the edge of the river, the thought of dirtying his expensive clothing miles away from his head.

"Enjoying yourself?" Shikamaru asked softly, sitting beside his friend as Upie wandered around.

Neji hummed softly. "Very much so." He turned to Shikamaru and smiled a bit. "I love being outdoors, being in nature like this."

The Nara nodded knowingly. "Me too."

"Really?"

"Yeah," he looked down as his cat climbed into his lap and leaned back to rest on his back, placing his arms beneath his head and yawning. "My family's house is on the other end of this forest; just gotta keep going straight through and we own a lot of land."

Neji blinked and smiled widely. "Really?"

Shikamaru chuckled softly at his friend's excitement. "Mm-hmm, we take care of deer."

Neji bit his lip. "Do you get to feed them?"

Shikamaru cracked his eye open, finding Neji twisting his hands with a wide smile on his face. He could see Neji trying to contain his excitement, but, the sight really was funny. He laughed softly and shook his head. "Yeah, we do; you should come over sometime." He looked at Neji and smiled. "Help feed the deer, you know?"

Neji smiled softly. "Thank you, Shikamaru." He said quietly, the sounds of the flowing river utterly relaxing. "You've been nothing but kind to me this past week." He pushed back his hair, looking away as he spoke softly, he strained to hear himself. "I can only hope you'll continue to be so kind."

The Nara pushed himself up by his elbows and furrowed his brow. "Why would I treat you any differently? We're on the way to becoming friends, aren't we?"

Neji smiled carefully before nodding. "I'm sorry…it's just-"

"Just what?"

"Shh." Neji hushed him. "Do you hear that?"

Shikamaru quieted and watched as Neji stood and listened to the surrounding area before taking off at an alarming rate. "Shit," he muttered underneath his breath before pulling his cat into his arms and jumping to his feet, chasing after Neji. The area was already succumbing to the setting the sun, darkness prominent in the forest and he knew they couldn't afford to be separated. "Neji, where are you?"

"I'm here! Shikamaru, I need you!"

His heart skipped a beat as he followed the sound of Neji's voice and he grunted as he tripped over the older boy, sending them both tumbling to the ground. He pushed himself up and found his cat holding onto his shirt by his claws and as he pulled Utopias off of him, he turned to find Neji digging through a thorn bush.

"What are you doing?" he asked, watching Neji wince and cry out as his hands we scratched harshly by the bush.

"There's a kitten in the bush." He whispered. "I'm trying to move the branches before I try to pull it out."

Shikamaru moved to kneel beside Neji and there in the shrub, he could see a small kitten with matted fur and eyes seeping liquid. He heard Neji whispering to it, trying to soothe the whimpers and the moment he cleared a path, the Hyuuga was pulling the cat to his chest. Shikamaru turned Neji toward himself and unzipped the Hyuuga's hooded sweatshirt.

"Put it inside your sweater." He said hurriedly. "Come on, we'll go back to my house."

--

Neji's heart broke for the tiny creature mewling weakly against his chest, but, Shikamaru assured him that they were near his home. As he looked around, he could see lights through the trees, however, there were no definite structures and Neji's legs were burning from exertion. He hushed the kitten once more, hoping they were near Shikamaru's home, but, just as the thought passed his mind, they ran through a clearing and he found he was in the younger boy's backyard.

Shikamaru led him past an inground pool and up a wooden deck, into a spacious home. Shikamaru had him take his shoes off in the foyer before turning into an adjoining room. The Nara looked over the back of his couch and sighed softly.

"Hey, old man, wake up." He placed his cat on the floor and took off his harness and leash before reaching over the back of the couch once more.

Neji bit his lip as he heard a sound of pain and wondered his Shikamaru did.

"You little bastard," he heard a gruff voice say. "What the hell are you doing pinching people?"

Neji gaped as a man sat up and if not for the obvious age difference, Shikamaru and this man could've been identical.

"I was out with a friend and he found a cat; I think it has an eye infection."

The man grunted as he sat up and followed his ears to sound of soft mewling, his eyes falling on Neji. The man smiled slowly and Neji was sure he blushed under the man's warm gaze and welcoming smile. He looked away as the man approached him, feeling his cheeks heat up at the attention.

"Well, aren't you just beauty personified? Shikaku Nara, pleased to meet you, Neji."

Neji's head snapped up and he blinked wide, owlish eyes at the man. "How did you-"

"As many pictures as Hiashi keeps of you around the house, I'd be blind not to recognize you." He said with a smile. "Now, I believe you're holding my patient there."

Neji looked down in his arms and pushed his chest out, feeling his heart clench as Shikamaru's father took the cat away. As the younger Nara came to stand beside him, Neji frowned. How did Shikamaru's father know his uncle? Why had Shikamaru's father been inside his home? Were their families' acquaintances? Did Shikamaru know his uncle? Had Hiashi asked Shikamaru to befriend him in his new school, to look after him?

Neji looked at Shikamaru and frowned. Was he being deceived?

"Stop over thinking things."

Neji's frowned deepened. "What do you mean?"

"Yes, we know your uncle; he's friends with my dad."

"But-"

"And, I didn't trick you into hanging out with me; your uncle didn't even know I was walking you home until today."

Neji bit his lip and rubbed at his arm. "Really?"

Shikamaru scoffed. "Do I really have any reason to lie to you?"

He shrugged. "I guess not."

The Nara sighed. "Lying is far too troublesome; I prefer the truth." He placed a comforting hand on Neji's shoulder and squeezed gently. "Come on, let's go see that cat."

--

Neji smiled at the sight of the little kitten lapping milk happily out of a bowl. He sat down beside it rubbed at it's tiny head gently.

"How is it?" he asked, looking Shikamaru's father in the eye.

"She's fine, just a little scrapped up with a bit of an eye infection."

Neji nodded. "So, she'll be alright?"

"Perfectly, just give her a drop of milk in the infected eye twice a day and she'll be fine."

Neji nodded once more, smiling until he looked to Shikamaru's father and a frown overtook his features. "I can't take care of her, uncle would have a fit." He looked down at the cat, biting his lip as she pushed her way beneath his hand and mewed.

Shikaku smiled. "She's a Snowshoe cat, they love affection and they're incredibly devoted to their masters." He smiled sadly at Neji's hesitation to hold the cat to him. "I'm sure Hiashi wouldn't mind too much if she'd really make you happy."

Shikamaru grinned as he came to stand beside his father. "Come on, I'll walk you home and you can ask your uncle if you can keep her."

Neji tried not to smile as the kitten licked at his jaw. "Okay, but, if he refuses, you have to promise me you'll find Keekee a good home; I don't want her wasting away in a cell somewhere."

Shikamaru smiled as he put his hands on Neji's shoulders. "Promise, man. She'll be ok."

--

Their walk back to Neji's house was filled with soft chatter as they shared unimportant pieces of information with each other. The night was as cold as any autumn night and Shikamaru could see Neji's shivering in sweater he wore.

"You should really wear warmer clothes than that in this weather." He said as he watched Neji quake.

"I thought I'd be back home by now." He whispered as he pressed his cheek to the kitten's head.

The Nara smiled as he watched Neji coo over the cat's sleeping form and he found that Neji was quite the nurturer. _'At least in regards to animals.'_ He thought with a smirk as the cat licked Neji's jaw once more.

"So, Keekee, huh?" he asked with a grin.

Neji looked up at him and Shikamaru felt his heart still at the sight of that smile, a _genuine_ smile. "She looks like one, doesn't she?"

"She does," he ran his fingers through her tangled fur.

"So," Neji said softly. "Her claws…"

"Don't worry about them yet, she's still just a kitten."

Neji nodded. "How old do you think she is?"

He shrugged. "Maybe eight to ten weeks; she's still pretty small."

As they approached Neji's home, the Hyuuga bit his lower lip; the lights were on. He sat down on the stairs and held Keekee to him as Shikamaru sat beside him and reclined against the steps. He pulled the cat out of his sweater and smiled at her form; Shikamaru's father wrapped her in small blanket before they left.

"Is your father a vet?" he asked and immediately he turned to look at Shikamaru. "I don't mean to pry, but, he knew so much and-"

Shikamaru chuckled, waving his hand dismissively. "Relax, man, it's ok." Neji held his kitten to him and peeked at the Nara over her head. Shikamaru smiled softly and leaned back. "My dad gets bored a lot, so, he's always studying new things. Before I was born, he'd already gotten a doctorate in medicine and sometime when I was growing up, he earned a doctorate in veterinary medicine. He's also got a master's in psychology, but, he doesn't put it into practice."

Neji blinked. "Wow," he said softly. "Your father is very ambitious."

Shikamaru shrugged. "I don't think so," he looked over to where Neji was watching him curiously. "He just gets bored, because, after he's learned all he wants to, the degrees just sit in frames collecting dust. Unless he decides he wants to practice whatever he's studied."

"I don't think I could ever do that."

"Do what?"

Neji shrugged. "What your father does."

Shikamaru shrugged. "Most people don't, but, it's what he likes and it's what makes him happy."

Neji nodded before laughing softly. "I don't even know what I want to study in college."

"Accounting's pretty easy; that's what I did first."

"Yes, but-wait." He looked at Shikamaru, a frown on his face. "What?"

The Nara laughed and Neji sighed softly at the sound; it was absolutely soft, warm, and refreshing and it took everything within him not to wrap himself in the comforting sound.

"I've already got my associate's in accounting."

"How is that even possible?"

"Online schools."

He looked at Shikamaru before pushing his shoulder with just enough force to rock the younger boy. "You're lying!" he laughed.

"I'm not." Shikamaru laughed along with Neji. "I really do have the degree."

Neji rolled his eyes. "Then why not continue the courses and get a bachelor's?"

Shikamaru shrugged, a smile still on his lips. "It was mostly for my mom; she wanted me to 'do something great'."

Neji tilted his head. It was so easy to fall into these conversations with Shikamaru, so easy to forget his nervousness and tentative nature. He pet Keekee's head gently as he smiled at Shikamaru. "It's sweet of you to do something like that for your mother."

"Gotta do something to keep her off my back." He laughed softly and smiled widely when he heard Neji's soft giggles.

Their laughter slowly quieted and in the same instance, Neji's front door opened, his uncle standing at the entrance with a kind smile on his face.

"It's thirty degrees out there; come inside, boys."

Neji looked at Shikamaru and the Nara smiled softly. "Guess now's as good a time as ever, huh?"

Neji bit his lip as he moved along the front walk, holding his cat to his chest protectively. He prayed his uncle would allow him to keep the cat, he needed her, he need _something_. Shikamaru was a good friend and as desperate as he was to have someone to speak to, he felt that his friend wasn't enough. His heart was heavy and he needed something to hold, something that would depend on him for love and care and give him sincere devotion in return, but, could he ask his uncle to let it be this innocent life in his arms? He'd been keeping his distance from his uncle since he returned, too afraid of upsetting the man to utter more than a sentence in his presence, would it really be fair to ask something so great of him?

As he approached the threshold and his uncle, Neji could feel Shikamaru's body heat against his back, cold winds whipping harshly around them. His heart threatened to burst out of his chest as his uncle looked down into his arms.

"Neji, what is this?" Hiashi asked stoically, glancing over his nephew's shoulder look at Shikamaru. The Nara held up a hand, motioning for Hiashi to allow Neji to speak.

Neji bit his lip as he tried to think of a way to ask his uncle to let him keep the cat. "I…I…" he couldn't recall the last time he'd been so inarticulate and he felt his eyes well up in his shame. His heart was hammering in his chest and he heard the kitten in his arms mewl softly. His mouth refused to form a single word and as he stood there, staring at the pavement, he could feel his uncle's annoyance and displeasure mounting.

"Neji," Hiashi said softly with a sigh. "This cat-"

"I'm sorry!" he whispered shakily, placing Keekee in Shikamaru's arms before turning and running up the stairs, closing the door to his bedroom behind himself.

--

Shikamaru sighed as the cat in his arms mewled at Neji's absence before looking to Hiashi with a somewhat somber expression. "He found her in a thorn bush tonight; she's really started to grow on him."

Hiashi nodded slowly. "I see." He cleared his throat. "I'm sorry you had to see that. My nephew and I aren't on the best of terms at the moment."

Shikamaru waved his hand dismissively. "Stuff happens, Mr. Hyuuga." He said, not wanting to pry. "Listen, since Neji's too afraid to ask you himself, can he keep this cat?" he held up the cat and smiled weakly when she yawned. "He really needs her."

Hiashi gave Shikamaru a smile that was just as weak as he reached out to take the cat from the young Nara. "I'll gladly let him keep her; I would've told him that if he hadn't run off so abruptly."

Shikamaru sighed. "He's damaged, Mr. Hyuuga and he's lost." When he saw the man look at him questioningly, he held up his hands. "I don't know what happened and he hasn't told me anything, but, there's obviously something bothering him and it's going to take awhile for him to heal. Animals help with therapy sometimes and she could be just what he needs; after all, it's because of him that she isn't out there freezing to death."

Hiashi sighed as he looked down at the little life in his arms, smiling as it weakly sniffed at his hand. "You are wise behind your years, Shikamaru."

"Heh," he chuckled. "It's in the genes."

"Well, come in and sit; I'm going to go give Neji his kitten."

--

Neji wiped at his cheeks when he heard a quiet rapping on his door. He felt as though he was the biggest fool in the world for running out like he did, but, he felt so incredibly trapped. He called out to the person on the other side of the door and hung his head when his uncle walked in.

The man sat down in his desk chair and sighed softly. "Neji, are you alright?"

He bit his lip and nodded, his voice hoarse. "Yes, sir."

"Neji, look at me." Hiashi said gently. Neji looked up and frowned in confusion when he found Keekee in his uncle's lap, watching him curiously. "I understand that you would like to keep this cat."

"Sir?" Neji's fingers itched where they were wrapped in his blankets, longing to hold the tiny creature in his uncle's possession.

"I'm going to allow this, but, you are to take care of her. Understood?"

Neji beamed and Hiashi felt his heart break at being unable to remember the last time his nephew looked so joyous.

"I understand, sir." His voice was breathy as Hiashi stood and deposited the cat in his arms. Neji quickly took the Keekee out of her blanket and immediately, she stretched her legs and walked the large expanse of Neji's bed before settling on a pillow and curling up to sleep comfortably.

"Now," Hiashi cleared his throat, a soft smile on his face. "I believe there's a young man in the living room who did you a great favor by asking me to let you keep that cat, although, had you waited for a moment, I would've told you, you can keep her." Neji blushed and looked down. "But, enough of that, Shikamaru's downstairs and I believe you owe him thanks."

Neji looked up at his uncle and smiled carefully. "T…thank you, sir."

Hiashi smiled. "You're welcome, Neji."

--

Shikamaru drew in a harsh breath when he found himself being harshly pushed into the couch on which he was sitting. Disentangling their limbs, Shikamaru found Neji joyously staring at him and he knew that the older boy must have propelled into him. His eyes widened as Neji hugged him less forcefully, but, with just as much happiness.

"Thank you so much." He whispered. "My uncle is going to let me keep Keekee."

Shikamaru softened and returned the embrace. "I'm sure he would've let you keep her anyway." As they pulled apart, he smiled at Neji. "You have to have some faith in him, Neji; he's really not a bad guy."

Neji bit his lip and furrowed his brow. "He sent me away."

"He probably thought he was doing what's best for you. Listen-" he cut himself off as he felt a vibration in his pocket and frowned at the screen. "It's Tayuya; I have to take this."

Neji smiled. "The life of a boyfriend, huh? Where's she been all day?"

The Nara shrugged. "Who knows? On the weekends she goes to all these….flautist competitions and to see orchestras play in the city."

"Oh," Neji watched as Shikamaru answered the phone before the younger boy smiled at him and covered the mouth piece with a finger, muffling his voice to the person on the other end of the line.

"I'll come by tomorrow with some stuff for Keekee. Until I get here, just give her some water and maybe some melon or watermelon if I'm really late."

Neji walked Shikamaru to the door and smiled softly as he watched the boy leave. Despite only knowing him a week, Shikamaru had become a calm and understanding force in Neji's life and he only hoped things would remain going as they were.

As he ascended the stairs, a smile still on his face, he missed the thoughtfully appraising look Hiashi gave him.

--

End chapter IV Part II

Eh…I don't know. Are things moving too quickly?

And, I know, I could've made up the idea of the cat, but, I didn't and I'd feel bad not giving the person the original idea of the cat credit. I just added details to her kitty-character ^_^

Reviews are appreciated.

-torib0o (11/24/09)


End file.
